Friends and business partners Jacqueline Taylor and Amber Cordero came up with the concept for their natural freeze-dried pet food business in 2016, after discovering unnecessary ingredients many companies used in their pet food products.
“We were shocked to discover that many products on the supermarket shelf included sugars, flavourings and colours,” says Amber.
“We are really passionate about our health and wellbeing, and what we put into our own food, and we feel strongly that our pets should also have food that is nourishing and healthy. It also helps them to live longer and to thrive.”
Officially launched in 2017, The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. creates premium pet food and treats that use fresh whole ingredient and are high in protein. Their products do not include any artificial flavours, colours, preservatives, by-products or fillers (such as corn, wheat, meal, or soy).
All products are manufactured in Aotearoa New Zealand in small batches, and the business supports fair trade and local sourcing where possible.
Leveraging the FernMark to go global
Since launching five years ago, The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. has expanded and is now exporting its products to 12 countries – including Australia, Canada, Singapore, the Philippines, China, South Korea, and most recently, the United States.
In 2019, as part of Jacqueline and Amber’s desire to cement the brand’s reputation in Asia as producing high-quality, New Zealand-made products, The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. became part of the FernMark Licence Programme, which helps promote and protect New Zealand products and services on a global scale.
Jacqueline and Amber had already finalised their products and packaging when their distributors encouraged them to get the FernMark. The pair decided to do a complete re-print of all of their product packaging to include their FernMark logo, which pops against their minimalist packaging.
“We realised that carrying the FernMark on our packaging would help establish our brand as a genuine New Zealand-made product and gives our brand credibility,” says Jacqueline.
Their realisation paid off. Over the past few years, The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. has experienced strong demand in Asia, particularly in Singapore, where they sold out of products within the first two weeks of launch.
Today, The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. has over 30 FernMark licensed products, which include air dried and freeze-dried food and treats for dogs and cats under the “woof” and “meow” brands.
The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. now has its sights set on the United States, where Amber is originally from, having moved to New Zealand 17 years ago. Jacqueline and Amber have their products stocked in over 350 stores nationwide across the states and are continuing to expand.
Jacqueline says that while many Americans they have met cannot locate New Zealand on a map, there is a recognition of the silver fern and that it represents New Zealand.
“The silver fern is such a part of who we are as Kiwi and we are proud to have this echoed with a FernMark stamp on our packaging, showcasing our New Zealand brand on the world stage.”